something that i think summarizes what i had hoped to do and hope against hope gt ere better than i ever ul ewrote, "when i settle into a place listening and watching, i don't try to fool myself that the stories of individuals are themselves arguments. i just believe that better arguments may be even better policies yet formulated when we know more about ordinary lives," and i think if there's a single aspiration that led me to reporting, specifically, it's that one. sometimes journalism changes policy for the better in specific and concrete ways, but i think there's something to be said for journalism that permanently complicated or momentarily interrupts our understanding of the world we live in, and i can't say that all or even most of the writing that i've done accomplishedded that goal, but it's something to aspire to as least. before i go further, i want to thank the people who let me writabttheir lives, particularly, lip stuart, her mother, mary lori, the principal of the high school, and aiden kelly, teacher and administration at zion academy. it was not just eye opening to spend time with